Chaeles h



(No Model.) O. H. WILLOOX.

TRIMMING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES. No. 387,029.

Patented July 31, 1888.

PETERS. Phomumo har. wuhin tun. I), c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. WILLCOX, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE \VILLCOX & GIBBSSEVING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TRIMMING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,029, dated July 3],1888.

Application filed June 2, 1882. Serial No. 63,046. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. WILLooX, of New York city, in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inTrimming Attachments for Sewlng-Machines, which improvement is fully setforth in the following specification.

This invention has reference to trimming attachments for cutting one ofsuperposed layers, leaving the other uncut, and more particularly tosuch attachments when so combined w th the sewing-machine as to adaptthem to trimming the edge of plain or singleturn welts or hems or knitgoods.

The invention consists, generally, in combin ng with a sewing-machinetrimmer of any ordlnary or suitable construction a guide for divertingthe layer or layers to be left uncut away from the trimming mechanism,leaving the other layer or layers to be acted upon and severed. It,however, comprises also certain special constructions, as indicatedbelow.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, aportion of a comblned sewing and trimming machine, 01' sewlug-machinewith trimming attachments sufficlent to illustrate the invention, isrepresented.

Flgurelis aplan view; Fig. 2, an end view, partly in vertical section;and Fig. 3, a front view. Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating theoperation.

Thesewing-machine is the well-known \Villco x & Gibbs singlethread chain-stitch machine, A being the machine-frame; B, the needleand needle-bar;B, the presser-bar; O, the mam shaft; 0, thelooper; L, the presser-foot;E, the cloth or work plate, and H the feedbar. The trimming attachmenthas the vibratory cutter F and the edge of the stationary cutter G onthe opposite side of the needle from the goose-neck, (the lower part ofwhich isshown to the right, Fig. 1;) but otherwise the trimmingmechanism is constructed as shown in Figs. 12 to 15 of the drawingsannexed to Letters Patent No. 255,578, dated March 28, 1882, and grantedto the Willcox 8t Gibbs Sewing Machine Company, as assignees of S.Borton and myself.

D is the rock-shaft, carrying the vibratory cutter and capable of slightendwise movement in its bearings; l, the spring for holding the edges ofthe cutters in contact, and K the adjustable back-stop. The rock-shaft Dis operated from an eccentric on the main shaft through an arm, a,attached to the rock-shaft, a pin, b, andlink c. The cutterG is formedof a bar or plate ground on the end, and is set in a dovetail in thecloth or throat plate and held in place by the set screw d.

111 order to allow the cutter-bar G to project across the line ofsewing, the feed-surface is divided into two parts, e 6. (See plan andend views.) This arrangement, as it allows the feedsurface to take holdof the fabric both in front and rear of the cutters, is advantageous inoperation by keeping the fabric always stretched and preventingpuckering.

The guide N, which is the principal feature of the present invention, isso arranged that it will direct or keep away from the edges of thecutters F G the fabric not to be cut, which in welting or hemming is themain body of the article. As shown, it is attached to the clothplate orwork-plate E and comprises a standard or base, n, and a finger, p,projecting in front of the cutter F at about the level of the point ofsaid cutter in its highest position. It thus effectually prevents thefabric from being caught by the point of the cutter. The front of thefingerp is rounded, so that the fabric will ride easily over it. Theedge or margin to be trimmed off passes under thefingerp and between theedges of the cutters F G. The presser-foot is cut away on the side froma point opposite the fingerp to the rear, so as to allow the uncutfabric which is diverted by the fingerp of guide N and rides over thetop of the cutter F to pass between the said finger p and cutter F andthe resser-foot. The latter, however,whenlet down, isstillsnfficientlyclose to the cutting-edges to clamp the fabric firmly.

In hemming or welting knit goods the curl at the edges is liable tointerfere with the action of the trimmer. To uncurl and flatten themargin to be trimmed a slot is formed in the cloth-plate E near theneedle-hole, and on the edge of the slot nearest the needle-hole is aprojection, M, Fig. 1. This projection is curved in front, and as thegoods arefed gradually it sprcadsthc curled edge so that the out tersmay act upon the flattened fabric.

It is obvious'that modifications may be made in the details ofconstruction without departing from the spirit of the invention, andthat parts of said invention may be used separately. For example, theguide for diverting thelayer' or layers not to be out can be combinedwith various kinds of trimmers. It is shown combined with ashear-trimmerhaving one vibratory and one stationary blade. It can becombined with a shear-trimmer having a blade reciprocatingin rightlines, orhaving one or two rotary concentric or eccentric disks, or witha knife-trimmer in which a reciprocating or a revolving knife worksthrough a slot, or in fine with any ordinary or suitable style oftrimmer.

Having now fully described my said invention and the mannerof carryingthe saineinto efi'ect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do notclaim, broadly, a sewing machine attaclr.

meut for trimming one of two superposedlayers, nor any of the mattersclaimed in my applicaiion filed of even date herewith and numbered62,516; but

WVhat I do claim herein is- 1. The combination, with the sewing-machineand trimming attachment, of the diverting-guide secured to thecloth-plate and hav-,

ing a finger projecting in front of the cutters close to the presserfoot, said finger .being raised above the cloth-plate to permit thepassage of one or more layers of fabric to said cutters, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination of a trimming attachment, a diverting-guide, and adevice for uncurling or flattening the margin to be trimmed 05,substantially as described.

3. In a sewing-machine with trimmer attachment, the feedsurface dividedtransversely portion arranged on the side of the needle away from thegoose-neck, and a divertingguide arranged on the same side of the needlein front of said cut-ting portion, and having a projecting finger raisedabove the cloth-plate to permit the'passage of a layer or layers offabric to the cutters, substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a sewing machine with trimmer attachment, of thevibratory and stationary cutters, the diverting-guide, and the uncurlingdevice arranged on theside of the needle opposite from the goose-neck ofthe machine, substantially as described.

7. The combination,with the stitch-forming mechanism and presser'foot ofa sewing-machine, of a feed-bar having a divided feed-surface, andtrimming devieeslocated below said presser-foot and crossing saidfeed-bar, said trimming devices having means for operating them,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscrib ing witnesses.

CHAS. H. WILLCOX.

Witnesses:

E. A RACE, S. A. SWART.

